Maharashtra: Nearly 70 lakh women found ineligible under Ladki Bahin scheme after e-KYC drive

PUNE: Nearly 70 lakh beneficiaries nether the authorities govt's flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana person been recovered ineligible pursuing a large-scale e-KYC and eligibility verification exercise.The determination has led to a crisp diminution successful the fig of women receiving the monthly fiscal assistance of Rs 1,500.Minister of authorities for Women and Child Development (WCD) Meghana Bordikar told TOI that contempt repeated extensions and consciousness drives, a important fig of beneficiaries failed to implicit the mandatory e-KYC process."We extended the e-KYC deadline for astir 4 to 5 months. Even aft providing capable time, astir 70 lakh women did not implicit the process.

This indicates that galore of them were not genuinely eligible beneficiaries," Bordikar said.The scheme, launched up of the Assembly elections arsenic 1 of the Mahayuti govt's flagship payment initiatives, initially covered astir 2.46 crore women beneficiaries crossed Maharashtra. However, pursuing Aadhaar authentication, slope relationship validation and scrutiny of eligibility criteria, the fig of beneficiaries receiving payments for Feb 2026 dropped to astir 1.76 crore.

Officials from the WCD section said the verification process identified duplicate applications, mismatched Aadhaar details, incorrect slope accusation and beneficiaries allegedly not gathering income eligibility norms. State govt had made e-KYC mandatory aft concerns were raised implicit irregularities and inadequate scrutiny during the scheme's accelerated rollout.The large-scale removal of beneficiaries is besides expected to trim the fiscal load importantly connected the authorities exchequer.In the Maharashtra Budget for 2026–27, the allocation for the Ladki Bahin strategy was reduced by 26% to Rs 26,500 crore, down from Rs 36,000 crore allocated successful 2025–26, pursuing the beneficiary verification drive. Budget documents projected the beneficiary basal astatine astir 1.53 crore women aft the clean-up exercise.Despite the govt's claims that capable clip was provided for compliance, respective women said they were incapable to implicit corrections oregon update their documents aft Dec owed to method issues and procedural hurdles."I had submitted each my documents, but determination was an contented with my Aadhaar-linked mobile number. After Dec, officials told maine changes could nary longer beryllium made successful the system. I visited the centre respective times, but my exertion remained pending," said Sunita Jadhav, a beneficiary whose payments were stopped earlier this year.Another beneficiary from the interior regions of the state, Rekha Shinde, said she could not implicit the e-KYC process contempt the hold period."The portal repeatedly showed errors. Local operators said updates were nary longer imaginable aft the deadline. I beryllium connected this wealth for household expenses and my children's education," she said.Activists moving with women's groups successful agrarian Maharashtra said respective genuine beneficiaries whitethorn person been excluded owed to mediocre net connectivity, deficiency of integer literacy, Aadhaar mismatches and disorder implicit changing deadlines.

They urged the govt to supply a last grievance redressal mechanics for women who whitethorn person been wrongly declared ineligible.However, Bordikar maintained that the govt had made extended efforts to guarantee compliance."The govt repeatedly appealed to beneficiaries to implicit e-KYC. Camps were organised, and deadlines were extended aggregate times. Genuine beneficiaries who completed the process are receiving benefits without interruption," she said.She added that the disbursement of pending instalments was presently underway."The disbursement of March and April 2026 instalments for genuine beneficiaries is underway. Eligible women volition proceed receiving benefits arsenic per the strategy guidelines," Bordikar said.